Red dress project connects women through embroidery
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In 2009, British textile artist Kirstie Macleod began the Red Dress project, inviting women from around the world to contribute to a collaborative embroidery piece. Over 14 years, 380 people from 51 countries embroidered 87 pieces of burgundy silk dupion, creating a dress that embodies diverse cultures and personal stories.
Macleod intended the project as a way to connect women across borders and explore themes of identity. 141 of the embroiderers received payment for their work, while the remaining 239 volunteered their time at events in various nations. The majority of participants, around 97%, identified as women, and included refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of conflict from places like Palestine, Syria, Ukraine, Rwanda, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
These women stitched personal narratives and cultural symbols into the fabric, with some incorporating proverbs and messages of peace into their embroidery. Completed in 2023, the dress now holds a Guinness World Record as the largest collaborative embroidery project, containing an estimated 1 to 1.5 billion stitches. It continues to be exhibited internationally, including a 2026 display at the United Nations in Geneva, and Macleod has published a book detailing the project and the stories of the women involved.
